ADAPTING CITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE ■ 199National
strategy for climate changeNational
climate change action planLocal/city
adaptation plan
Approved 2006 Approved December 2008 NonexistentApproved 2008 No information Plano Municipal de
Mudancas Climaticas;
approved in June 2009
Approved March 2008 Sustainable Singapore
Blueprint approved in 2009;
several sector action plansNot applicablebetween sectors and population groups. Th e impacts of climate change on
health are another area of concern, including air pollution (Pearl River Delta,
Santiago, and São Paulo), heat island eff ects (Delhi, Pearl River Delta, Pune,
Santiago, and São Paulo), and the spread of disease vectors (all cities). Th e con-
sequences on human settlements due to sea-level rise or coastal and inland
fl ooding in Pearl River Delta and Singapore are a further concern that could
lead to serious disruption in the transportation and infrastructure service.
As a consequence of increasing global temperatures, rising energy demands
(in conjunction with heat island eff ects) are identifi ed as an issue of concern
primarily in tropical cities. Disruption of sensitive ecosystems (from fi re or
environmental degradation), loss of biodiversity (as in the case of Pune), and
food security are most notably of concern in Bogota and Cape Town. Although
they are quantifi ed in only a few of the case cities, economic losses due to cli-
mate change are signifi cant, cross-cutting impacts.
Interestingly, high convergence is seen in terms of the local conditions and
trends that reinforce the anticipative impacts of climate change in the case
cities (table 8.3). In-migration to ecologically sensitive areas and associated
land-use changes are major issues. Another common factor is the adoption
of western consumption patterns that increase per capita demands for water,
energy, food, and land. Th is is mentioned in connection with the already
high dependency on “external supply” of resources (such as drinking water
or energy). A fi nal aspect is the highly inequitable distribution of associated
risks across population groups and locations, with rising vulnerability within
marginalized populations.